TAJ MAHAL - THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA ALBUMS COLLECTION

The career of American bluesman, roots radical, and pioneer of world music Taj Mahal is set to be celebrated next year with the release of THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA ALBUMS COLLECTION. This deluxe box set will include all ten of the two-time Grammy Award®-winning artist's original Columbia albums, plus one movie soundtrack and the two previously-unreleased albums which comprised last year's The Hidden Treasures Of Taj Mahal: 1969-1973 package. Fifteen CDs in all, covering 170 tracks. The box will be available everywhere February 5, 2013, through Columbia/Legacy.

THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA ALBUMS COLLECTION will include the following titles, all originally released on Columbia Records: Taj Mahal (1968), The Natch'l Blues (1968), Giant Step/De Ole Folks At Home (double-CD, 1969), The Real Thing (live, 1971), Happy Just To Be Like I Am (1971), Recycling The Blues & Other Related Stuff (1972), Sounder (movie soundtrack, 1972), Oooh So Good 'N Blues (1973), Mo' Roots (1974), Music Keeps Me Together (1975), and Satisfied 'N Tickled Too (1976). Many of these titles have been out of print for decades and are being issued in the U.S. for the first time on CD.

In addition, the box includes two historic Columbia/Legacy archival releases. Rising Sons Featuring Taj Mahal And Ry Cooder was first issued in 1992 and features early group recordings of 1965-1966. Last year's Hidden Treasures features one CD of previously unreleased rarities alongside a second CD recorded live at the Royal Albert Hall on April 18, 1970, when the Taj Mahal group opened for fellow Columbia artists Johnny Winter and Santana.

As with previous volumes in Legacy's Complete Album Collections series, each of the discs in THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA ALBUMS COLLECTION is packaged in a replica mini-LP sleeve reproducing that LP's original front and back cover artwork. The accompanying booklet includes complete disco­graphical information for each album, along with a liner notes essay written by blues and jazz and roots music commentator Miles Mellough. Mellough oversees the website http://birdswithbrokenwings2.blogspot.com and also penned the liners for last summer's Hidden Treasures.


The release of THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA ALBUMS COLLECTION coincides with Black History Month in February 2013. The release also finds the perennial road warrior, who celebrated his 70th birthday on May 17, 2012, in the midst of a busy tour schedule. Among his most recent gigs, he could be found aboard the Holland America Line's MS Nieuw Amsterdam from January 20-27, for the all-star "Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise," featuring Dion, Mavis Staples, Elvin Bishop with Mickey Thomas, Big Head Todd & The Monsters, Tab Benoit, Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers, and dozens more. (Please see upcoming tour dates below, or go to www.tajblues.com.)

Taj Mahal is nothing less than a force of nature whose global sensibility is without precedent or peer. He was not "ahead of his time" but rather of his time, an embodiment of the awakening world collective consciousness that has run from Selma and the first Be-In in San Francisco, all the way to Tahir Square and Occupy Wall Street. This is affirmed by David Rubinson, the former Columbia Records staff producer who produced Taj's first five albums.

"It has been my enormous fortune to have known, admired, enjoyed, revered, loved and survived with, my great friend Taj Mahal for damn near fifty years" says Rubinson. "As this amazing collection illustrates, he was one of the very first to embody and make manifest a truly universal global humanism, a world without borders, risen from a deep inquiry and understanding and love of human beings in all their shapes and forms and shades and sounds. Taj Mahal is not a curator or archaeologist, but the unique summation of a vast repository of human, African, and African-American experience. His uniqueness is matched by his universality."

Taj Mahal's life and times are well documented. Growing up in a musical family of South Carolina and West Indian heritage in Massachusetts, he fell under the folk and blues spell of the burgeoning Cambridge coffee house scene in the late 1950s and early '60s. His first lesson in guitar came from childhood neighbors from North Carolina. After graduating from U-Mass at Amherst, he headed west to pursue music. He was 23 years old when he recorded his first tentative album for Columbia Records in 1965, material which remained unissued for more than 25 years. By 1967, however, working with Columbia staff producer David Rubinson, his official self-titled debut LP was completed and released early the following year.

The landmark album, Taj Mahal introduced the band he'd been working with for some two years, featuring guitarists Jesse Ed Davis and Ry Cooder, bassist Gary Gilmore, and drummer Chuck Blackwell. The material was heavily drawn from his idol of the time, rediscovered Tennessee bluesman Sleepy John Estes ("Leaving Trunk," "Everybody's Got To Change Sometime," "Diving Duck Blues"), along with numbers from country bluesmen Robert Johnson ("Dust My Broom") and Sonny Boy Williamson ("Checkin' Up On My Baby"). There were also arrangements of "E Z Rider," "Walkin' Blues," and Blind Willie McTell's "Statesboro Blues."

The Natch'l Blues found Taj Mahal expanding his base and staking out the first soundings on his own turf. In addition to tributes to Otis Redding ("You Don't Miss Your Water") and Estes' long-time partner Yank Rachell ("She Caught the Katy and Left Me a Mule To Ride"), the album featured three originals by Taj ("I Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Steal My Jellyroll," "Going To Move Up To the Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue," "Done Changed My Way Of Living"), and a couple of arrangements of traditional folk-blues ("Corinna," "The Cuckoo"). When the album was reissued on CD in 2000, it included an alternate version of "The Cuckoo" and two songs that don't appear anywhere else in the Taj Mahal discography, "New Stranger Blues" and "Things Are Gonna Work Out Fine." The expanded edition tracklist is included in this box set.

Bursting with musical ideas, the next project with Rubinson was the ambitious double-LP of 1969, Giant Step/De Ole Folks at Home. A collection of nearly two dozen songs, it was Taj Mahal's first entry into the top 100 of the Billboard albums chart and stayed in print in the Columbia catalog for two decades. Meanwhile, over the course of the next two years the band morphed, as Ry Cooder and Jesse Ed Davis began solo recording careers. Taj Mahal established a partnership with jazz tuba virtuoso Howard Johnson (who became a cornerstone of his band) that was introduced on another double-LP, The Real Thing, recorded live at the Fillmore East in February 1971.

The Real Thing reprised many familiar numbers and audience favorites ("Fishin' Blues," "Ain't Gwine To Whistle Dixie (Any Mo')," "Going Up To the Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue," "Diving Duck Blues"), some of them in extended versions that gave Johnson's brass section plenty of room to stretch out. It also included enough new material to keep the program lively ("Sweet Mama Janisse," "Big Kneed Gal," Blind Willie Johnson's "You're Gonna Need Somebody On Your Bond," "Tom and Sally Drake," "John, Ain't It Hard"). The penultimate jam occupied one full LP side, the 19-minute "You Ain't No Street Walker Mama, Honey But I Do Love the Way You Strut Your Stuff" (edited to 11:45 on CD). The 2000 reissue reinstated "She Caught the Katy and Left Me a Mule To Ride," which had been shelved due to time limitations of the double-LP, and that expanded edition is contained in this box set.

Taj Mahal's career blossomed over the next five years as his musical scope grew to encompass the blues of Chicago, Memphis and Detroit, and the rhythms of Jamaica and the West Indies. He began to produce his own albums for Columbia in 1972, and recorded the soundtrack to 20th Century-Fox's Sounder that same year. He parted ways with Columbia in 1976 and moved on to Warner Bros., Gramavision, Private Music, Hannibal, Rhino Kids, and Music Maker, to name a few, recording countless fascinating album projects and collaborations along the way.

"In hindsight," Mellough sums up, "we now know that Taj Mahal indeed was, and still is the real thing. More so, we also realize that he was a man very much ahead of his time, employing the entire spectrum of blue. Taj utilized indigo shades from all of the mighty river's feeders, deftly incorporating them into that voice he was so steadfastly sculpting back in those early years. Today, some four decades later, we should count our lucky stars that someone like Taj Mahal had the foresight, the degree of interest, and the love for the blues to dip his toes into the music's many streams and help keep them alive and flowing."

TAJ MAHAL – THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA ALBUMS COLLECTION

RISING SONS FEATURING TAJ MAHAL AND RY COODER (recorded 1965-66, originally issued 1992, as Columbia/Legacy 52828) Selections: 1. Statesboro Blues • 2. If The River Was Whiskey (Divin' Duck Blues) • 3. By And By (Poor Me) • 4. Candy Man • 5. 2:10 Train • 6. Let The Good Times Roll • 7. .44 Blues • 8. 11th Street Overcrossing • 9. Corrin, Corinna • 10. Tulsa County • 11. Walkin' Down The Line • 12. The Girl With Green Eyes • 13. Sunny's Dream • 14. Spanish Lace Blues • 15. The Devil's Got My Woman • 16. Take A Giant Step • 17. Flyin ' So High • 18. Dust My Broom • 19. Last Fair Deal Gone Down • 20. Baby, What You Want Me To Do? • 21. Statesboro Blues - version 2 • 22. I Got A Little.

TAJ MAHAL (originally issued 1968, as Columbia 9579) Selections: 1. Leaving Trunk • 2. Statesboro Blues • 3. Checkin' Up On My Baby • 4. Everybody's Got To Change Sometime • 5. E Z Rider • 6. Dust My Broom • 7. Diving Duck Blues • 8. The Celebrated Walkin' Blues.

THE NATCH'L BLUES (originally issued 1968, as Columbia 9698)
Selections: 1. Good Morning Miss Brown • 2. Corinna • 3. I Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Steal My Jellyroll • 4. Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue • 5. Done Changed My Way Of Living • 6. She Caught The Katy And Left Me A Mule To Ride • 7. The Cuckoo • 8. You Don't Miss Your Water ('Til Your Well Runs Dry) • 9. Ain't That A Lot Of Love • Bonus tracks: 10. The Cuckoo (alternate version) • 11. New Strange Blues • 12. Things Are Gonna Work Out Fine.

GIANT STEP/DE OLE FOLKS AT HOME (originally issued 1969, as Columbia GP 18) CD 1: GIANT STEP - Selections: 1. Ain't Gwine Whistle Dixie (Any Mo') • 2. Take A Giant Step • 3. Give Your Woman What She Wants (from the motion picture The April Fools) • 4. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl • 5. You're Going To Need Somebody On Your Bond • 6. Six Days On The Road • 7. Farther On Down The Road (You Will Accompany Me) • 8. Keep Your Hands Off Her • 9. Bacon Fat.

CD 2: DE OLE FOLKS AT HOME - Selections: 1. Linin' Track • 2. Country Blues #1 • 3. Wild Ox Moan • 4. Light Rain Blues • 5. A Little Soulful Tune • 6. Candy Man • 7. Cluck Old Hen • 8. Colored Aristocracy • 9. Blind Boy Rag • 10. Stagger Lee • 11. Cajun Tune • 12. Fishin' Blues • 13. Annie's Lover.

THE REAL THING (originally issued 1971, as Columbia 30619) Selections: 1. Fishin' Blues • 2. Ain't Gwine To Whistle Dixie (Any Mo') • 3. Sweet Mama Janisse • 4. Going Up To The Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue • 5. Big Kneed Gal • 6. You're Going To Need Somebody On Your Bond • 7. Tom And Sally Drake • 8. Diving Duck Blues • 9. John, Ain't It Hard • 10. You Ain't No Street Walker Mama, Honey But I Do Love The Way You Strut Your Stuff. (Recorded February 13, 1971 at the Fillmore East, New York.)

HAPPY JUST TO BE LIKE I AM (originally issued 1971, as Columbia 30619) Selections: 1. Happy Just To Be Like I Am • 2. Stealin' • 3. Oh Susanna • 4. Eighteen Hammers • 5. Tomorrow May Not Be Your Day • 6. Chevrolet • 7. West Indian Revelation • 8. Black Spirit Boogie.

RECYCLING THE BLUES & OTHER RELATED STUFF (originally issued 1972, as Columbia 31605) Selections: 1. Conch: Introduction • 2. Kalimba • 3. Bound To Love Me Some • 4. Ricochet • 5. A Free Song (Rise Up Children Shake The Devil Out Of Your Soul) • 6. Corinna • 7. Conch: Close • 8. Cakewalk Into Town • 9. Sweet Home Chicago • 10. Texas Woman Blues • 11. Gitano Negro.

SOUNDER Original Soundtrack Recording (originally issued 1972, as Columbia 31944) Selections: 1. Needed Time (Lightnin' Hopkins) • 2. Sounder Chase A Coon • 3. Needed Time (Hummin' And Pickin') • 4. Morning Work/n' Meat's On The Stove • 5. I'm Running And I'm Happy • 6. Speedball • 7. Goin' To The Country/Critters In The Woods • 8. Motherless Children (Hummin') • 9. Jailhouse Blues • 10. Just Workin' • 11. Harriet's Dance Song • 12. Two Spirits Reunited • 13. David Runs Again • 14. Curiosity Blues • 15. Someday Be A Change • 16. Horseshoes • 17. Cheraw • 18. David's Dream • 19. Needed Time - guitar • 20. Needed Time - banjo and handclapping.

OOOH SO GOOD 'N BLUES (originally issued 1973, as Columbia 32600)
Selections: 1. Buck Dancer's Choice • 2. Little Red Hen • 3. Oh Mama Don't You Know • 4. Frankie And Albert • 5. Railroad Bill • 6. Dust My Broom • 7. Built For Comfort • 8. Teacup's Jazzy Blues Tune. (Pointer Sisters – vocals, tracks 2, 4, 8)

MO' ROOTS (originally issued 1974, as Columbia 33051) Selections: 1. Johnny Too Bad • 2. Blackjack Davey • 3. Big Mama • 4. Cajun Waltz • 5. Slave Driver • 6. Why Did You Have To Desert Me? • 7. Desperate Lover • 8. Clara (St. Kitts Woman).

MUSIC KEEPS ME TOGETHER (originally issued 1975, as Columbia 33801) Selections: 1. Music Keeps Me Together • 2. When I Feel The Sea Beneath My Soul • 3. Dear Ladies • 4. Aristocracy • 5. Further On Down The Road • 6. Roll, Turn, Spin • 7. West Indian Revelation • 8. My Ancestors • 9. Brown-Eyed Handsome Man • 10. Why? . . . And We Repeat Why? . . . And We Repeat!

SATISFIED 'N TICKLED TOO (originally issued 1976, as Columbia 34103)
Selections: 1. Satisfied 'N Tickled Too • 2. New E-Z Rider Blues • 3. Black Man, Brown Man • 4. Baby Love • 5. Ain't Nobody's Business • 6. Misty Morning Ride • 7. Easy To Love • 8. Old Time Song - Old Time Love • 9. We Tune.

THE HIDDEN TREASURES OF TAJ MAHAL 1969-1973 (originally issued August 2012, as Columbia/Legacy 82876 82294 2) CD 1 - Selections: 1. Chainey Do • 2. Sweet Mama Janisse • 3. Yan-Nah Mama-Loo • 4. Tomorrow May Not Be Your Day • 5. I Pity The Poor Immigrant • 6. Jacob's Ladder • 7. Ain't Gwine Whistle Dixie (Any Mo') • 8. Sweet Mama Janisse • 9. You Ain't No Streetwalker Mama, Honey But I Do Love The Way You Strut Your Stuff • 10. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl • 11. Shady Grove • 12. Butter. (Tracks 1-4 recorded 1970; 5-6 recorded 1969; 7-9 recorded 1971; 10-12 recorded 1973).

CD 2 - LIVE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL, APRIL 18, 1970 - Selections: 1. Runnin' By The Riverside • 2. John, Ain't It Hard • 3. Band Introduction • 4. Sweet Mama Janisse • 5. Big Fat • 6. Diving Duck Blues • 7. Checkin' Up On My Baby • 8. Oh Susanna • 9. Bacon Fat • 10. Tomorrow May Not Be Your Day.


TAJ MAHAL ON TOUR
Dec. 4-5 - San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
Dec. 6 - San Luis Obispo, CA @ Fremont Theatre
Dec. 8 - Napa, CA @ Uptown Theatre Napa
Dec. 9 - Grass Valley, CA @ The Center For The Arts
Jan. 20-27, 2013 - "Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise", Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Holland America Line
Jan. 30 - Saint Catharines, Ont., @ Sean O'Sullivan Theatre
Jan. 31 - Brampton, Ont. @ Rose Theatre Brampton
Feb. 1 - Burlington, Ont. @ Burlington Performing Arts Ctr.
April 17 - Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Arts Center
April 19 - Santa Barbara, CA @ Campbell Hall
April 21 - Redding, CA @ Cascade Theatre
April 23 - Eugene, OR @ Silva Concert Hall
April 27 - Calgary, Alb. @ MacEwan Conf. & Event Ctr.
April 28 - Edmonton, Alb. @ Winspear Centre
May 27 - Nashville, TN @ Centennial Park

Source: Legacy Recordings

WINTER MUSIC CONFERENCE 2013

Winter Music Conference March 15-24, 2013 at the Miami Beach Convention Center, South Beach, FL

Winter Music Conference (WMC) opened its 2013 season in South Florida with the announcement of the Winter Music Conference 2013 dates. This will be the 28th annual program for the pre-eminent platform on the global EDM industry calendar for launching new music, technology and trends. Winter Music Conference Week 2013 happens March 15 – 24, 2013 in Miami Beach, Florida.

For 2013, WMC delivers another ten non-stop days and nights of music programming including two full weekends of events and parties. WMC's Managing Director, Margo Possenti, explains, "Last year's expansion of the WMC dates was a resounding success in opening many new avenues for artists and industry participation. Over 2300 artists and DJs performed at 134 venues in Miami Beach and Miami last year – an increase of over 64% in artist participation from the previous year.” WMC's music industry panels and seminars will be presented March 18-22, 2013 at the Miami Beach Convention Center (MBCC) in the hub of South Beach's vibrant art deco resort and clubbing district. WMC will be expanding its music trade show and exhibit area to inlcude a leading-edge cultural exchange and consumer expo centered on EDM trends, music, gear and fashion to be presented March 18 & 19, 2013 at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Winter Music Conference 2013
•DJ Sets, Live Performances & Parties: March 15 – 24, 2013
•WMC Music Industry Program: March 18 – 22, 2013
•WMC Trade Show & Exhibits: March 18 – 19, 2013
•Club & Poolside Events: March 15 – 24, 2013

Currently the WMC industry badge is being offered at a promotional Early Registration rate of $235 (over half off the Walk-Up rate) until September 12th, 2012. Registration includes access to panels, seminars, featured Q & A's, the 28th Annual IDMAs (International Dance Music Awards), WMC official poolside events, South Beach Sessions, trade show & exhibits, workshops (with the exception of the Remixing and Editing Workshops), DJ Spin-Offs, VJ Challenge as well as complimentary or reduced admission to WMC official and sanctioned events for the full ten days of programming.

The WMC registration office and housing bureau is currently open at www.WinterMusicConference.com. WMC is also accepting applications, inquiries and requests for panels and workshops, DJ Spin Off, VJ Challenge, showcasing and events.

DOM LA NENA - NO MEU PAIS

Today’s essential download from Six Degrees Records is by a beautiful Brazilian cellist, Dominique Pinto, who performs under the name Dom La Nena. Brazilian Girls, the debut album by the band of the same name is one of my favorite albums of the past decade, so I was intrigued to hear the output of an actual Brazilian girl — and a classically trained one at that. Her debut album, Ela, is a delicate, intricate flower; each petal a lovely understated melody. If Cat Power had a lost sister in the Southern Hemisphere, her name would be Dom La Nena.

As a young girl. Dom honed her craft under the guidance of Christine Walevska, an American cellist living in Buenos Aires. Years later, she performed cello on tour with French actress Jeanne Moreau and Serge Gainsbourg’s beloved Jane Birkin. After the Birkin tour wrapped in 2009, Dom set about composing the songs that would create Ela. She traveled to the south of France and recorded voice, piano and cello multitracks all by herself during a weeklong session at producer Piers Faccini’s cottage studio in the Cévennes mountains. Intrigued by the results, Faccini shaped demos into a finished album.

On “No Meu Pais,” Faccini adds an acoustic rhythm guitar to accompany Dom’s piano part, as well as an array of percussion (a chain, a shaker, a clave), electric guitars, harmonica and backing vocals. “Meu pais” normally translates to “my country,” but without a nationality attached, it becomes “myself.” The song is about Dom’s struggles to lay down roots during her constant studies, classical training and touring throughout Brazil, Europe and Argentina (the country where she picked her stage name).

Download:
Dom La Nena – No Meu Pais

While you could overload your Google Translate tying to keep up with the Portuguese and Spanish lyrics on Ela, I highly suggest surrendering to the inventive arrangements and beautiful melodies. Early favorites include the cinematic “O Vento” which is either about wind or coffee, and “Batuque” a multi-tracked vocal rhythm stomp which features Brazilian composer, singer and multi-instrumentalist Kiko Dinucci, who played and arranged the entrancing percussion parts with Guilherme Kastru. On the joyous, ‘Você’, when French singer Camille joins the vocal mix, they’re like two little girls romping on the playground.

Songs from this album will play nicely in iPod mixes alongside Cat Power, the xx, the soundtracks for Henry and June and Betty Blue, Rodrigo y Gabriela and early Vanessa Paradis (who I was into way before Johnny Depp was).

Ela, the debut album by Dom La Nena, will be released in January 15, 2013 in the USA and Canada; it comes out in Europe a month later.

~ Six Degrees Records

CYNTHIA BASINET - THE STANDARD

Cynthia Basinet, the actress, singer, humanitarian known for the most iconic version of "Santa Baby," releases her debut full length jazz CD The Standard.

The Standard, 15 years in the making contains 11 tracks, including two bonus Holiday tracks. Cynthia has given new vocals and mixies to several of her songs, like "Blue Moon", "Going Out Of My Head", "Sweet Dreams" and "The Christmas Song".

SmoothJazz.com said, "This gorgeous version of Nat King Cole's holiday nugget was arranged by Tony Bennett's arranger and pianist Lee Musiker, and while the song features A-List musicians, it's Ms. Basinet's approach to the vocals that steals the show! Warm, rich and delightful - Cynthia Basinet's version of "The Christmas Song" is a must have download this holiday season!"

Fans say Cynthia's version of "Santa Baby" has become the industry standard and influenced nearly every version by many of today's pop artists worldwide, including Pussycat Dolls, Shakira, Kylie Minogue, Kellie Pickler, Taylor Swift, Micheal Buble, Pink Martini and more.

CynthiaBasinet.com
Source: jazzcorner.com

QUINCY JONES PLAYS THE HIP HITS

Classic Quincy Jones from the 60s – a pair of records that really show why his jazz skills were unlike anyone else! Quincy Jones Plays Hip Hits is a very groovy record that was done with a feel that's somewhere in between his Big Band Bossa album and his best 60s soundtrack work! The format is simple – Quincy picks a sweet batch of jazz semi-hits from the early 60s, plays them with a nice mix of soul jazz arrangements, and works with a great ensemble filled with wonderful players – including Roland Kirk, Budd Johnson, Seldon Powell, James Moody, and Jerome Richardson on reeds; Lalo Schifrin and Patti Brown on piano, Jim Hall on guitar, Clark Terry on trumpet, and Melba Liston on trombone – plus lots of great percussion at the bottom, helping bring some Latin energy to the grooves at points.

Tunes are familiar, but all given a great Quincy Jones twist – and titles include "Gravy Waltz", "Jive Samba", "Walk On The Wild Side", "Bossa Nova USA", and "Watermelon Man". Golden Boy is a sweet bridge between Quincy's big band recordings and his groovier soundtrack work of the mid 60s – as the record combines straight jazzy grooving with some of the cooler elements of Quincy's soundtrack scores, like stepping strings, wordless voices, and a breathy mellow groove that floats across the disc in a wonderful way! Aiding Quincy in the album are a host of top-line jazz players – including Eddie Lockjaw Davis, Jerome Richardson, and Phil Woods on saxes – plus Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Al Grey on trombone, and Jim Hall on guitar! Although titled after the show Golden Boy, only a few cuts here are from that musical – and the rest include Quincy Jones originals and some cool covers, given the Q twist. Titles include "Seaweed", "The Witching Hour", "Hard Day's Night", "The Sidewinder", and "Theme From Golden Boy", done in 2 versions, both great! ~ Dusty Groove

BOB BROOKMEYER - TROMBONE JAZZ SAMBA / SAMBA PARA DOS

Pure genius throughout – two great albums on a single CD! Trombone Jazz Samba is an overlooked gem from Bob Brookmeyer – and a set that fits in strongly with the other Verve Records bossa nova albums of the 60s! Bob's the center star on valve trombone, but the record's awash in work from other great Verve talents too – a tight small group that features Gary McFarland on vibes, Jim Hall and Jimmy Raney on guitars, and Willie Bobo on drums – alongside some added percussion that really helps keep the bossa spirit strong! Tunes have that spare, soulful crackle that you'd find in the Stan Getz bossa sessions for Verve – except that trombone is the lead solo instrument here – and titles include "A Felicidade", "Col Bogey Bossa Nova", "Blues Bossa Nova", "Qual E O Po", "Chara Tu Tristeza", and "Samba De Orfeu".

Samba Para Dos is a great lost groover on Verve – recorded during the heyday of the label's bossa years with Stan Getz! The record features Bob Brookmeyer fronting a large group arranged and conducted by Lalo Schifrin – soloing over the top, while Lalo comes up with sparkling bossa-tinged grooves that are in the spirit of his best soundtrack work of the mid 60s. Brookmeyer's playing is great too – very different than his sparer, modernist work on other records – and very much in the tradition of Brazilian trombone players who were a key force in bossa jazz at the time. The set includes one long original, "Samba Para Dos", plus shorter standards like "My Funny Valentine", "What Kind Of Fool Am I", and "I Get A Kick Out Of You" – all taken in great jazzy bossa versions! ~ Dusty Groove

GENE HARRIS - THE 3 SOUNDS

A pair of killers from keyboardist Gene Harris – both recorded for Blue Note, and back to back on a single CD! First up is Gene Harris/The 3 Sounds – the last Three Sounds album for Blue Note – and the funkiest too – thanks to lots more electrification than usual, and some killer arrangements from the mighty Monk Higgins! Monk's really at the top of his game here – going past even his great previous work for the group, and working with a tight, sharp edge that recalls his funky 45 brilliance of the 60s – yet tuned a bit more towards the electric Cali jazz of early 70s Blue Note! Gene Harris plays loads of funky piano lines – and in addition to the trio's core electric bass and drums, the set also features some added work on percussion from Paul Humphrey – who really brings in a kick – plus added guitar, congas, and even a bit of Hammond from Higgins too! Some cuts even have a bit of vocals too – sung in this offbeat way that's a wild approach to soul. There's some killer breaks on the set – including the massive "Put On Train" and "What's The Answer" – but the whole set smokes, and other cuts include "I'm Leaving", "You Got To Play The Game", "Your Love Is Just Too Much", "Did You Think", "Hey Girl", and a mad version of "Eleanor Rigby".

On the second album – Gene Harris Of The Three Sounds – Gene really steps into the solo spotlight – moving away from his work with the Three Sounds trio, and headed into even more righteous territory – as you might guess from the trippy image on the cover! The set features Harris mostly on acoustic piano, but amidst larger arrangements from Wade Marcus that really round things out with a warm, soulful edge – mixing guitar from Sam Brown and Cornell Dupree with Gene's lines on piano – and giving things an extra kick at the bottom with drums from Freddie Waits, and percussion from Johnny Rodriguez and Omar Clay. The record echoes Harris' older roots at some points, yet comes across with a richer 70s vibe too – a hip 70s style that's strongly due to the contributions of Marcus' arrangements. Tracks include a great remake of "Listen Here", which begins with a great funky break; a sweet steppers version of "Killer Joe"; and the tracks "Lean On Me", "Day In The Life Of A Fool", "Django", "Emily", and "C Jam Blues". ~Dusty Groove

SAM SAMUDIO - HARD AND HEAVY

• CD Debut for Excruciatingly Rare Solo Album from the Frontman of Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs

• Unbelievable List of Sidemen Including Duane Allman, the Dixie Flyers, the Sweet Inspirations and the Memphis Horns

• Produced by Tom Dowd and Jerry Wexler

• Includes the Original, Grammy- Winning Notes by Samudio Himself

• Also Features New Liner Notes by Richie Unterberger

After the late-‘60s collapse of Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs, the band’s front man and lead singer Domingo “Sam” Samudio signed a solo deal with Atlantic and recorded this 1971 slice of collector nirvana. Why nirvana? Well, aside from Sam’s estimable vocal and songwriting contributions, the album boasted contributions from, oh, about a half-dozen different flat-out legends, including producers Tom Dowd and Jerry Wexler and sidemen the Dixie Flyers (led by Jim Dickinson), the Memphis Horns, the Sweet Inspirations, and some session guitarist named Duane Allman!

Sam’s born-to-be-wild pose on the front cover tips you off to the sound; this album updated the Pharoahs’ frat-boy garage raunch with a nod towards hard rock (“Relativity” and “Don’t Put Me On”), while also harkening back to his Tex-Mex (“Don’t Put Me On”) and blues (“Key to the Highway”) roots. Little wonder, then, that vinyl copies of this record—which makes its CD debut here—fetch a pretty penny when and if you can find it. The album also won a Grammy for Sam’s hilarious, stream-of-consciousness liner notes (“Thank the monkey”), which has been reproduced here along with new notes by Richie Unterberger. We’ve also added a bonus single side, Sam’s version of “Me and Bobby McGee” featuring Duane Allman on dobro--don’t miss this one! Set for release on January 29, 2013.

Tracks:
1. Homework
2. Relativity
3. Lonely Avenue
4. I Know It’s Too Late/Starchild
5. Let’s Burn Down The Cornfield
6. Sweet Release
7. Key To The Highway
8. Don’t Put Me On
9. 15º Capricorn Asc
10. Goin’ Upstairs

Bonus Tracks:
11. Me and Bobby McGee

~ Real Gone Music

SAM DEES - THE SHOW MUST GO ON

• Long Regarded as One of the Greatest Soul Albums of the '70s from One of Soul's Greatest Songwriters

• Domestic CD Debut and Reissued as a Stand-Alone CD for the First Time Ever

• Includes Five Bonus Single Sides Comprising Sam Dees' Complete Atlantic Recordings

• New Liner Notes by Bill Dahl

At six foot four and two-hundred-plus pounds, Sam Dees is a soul giant in more ways than one. Best known for penning hits for Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, George Benson, Aretha Franklin, Atlantic Starr and Larry Graham (and songs for artists ranging from Tyrone Davis to the Temptations to Teddy Pendergrass to Millie Jackson), Dees also recorded what a consensus of soul collectors rate as one of the best LPs of the ‘70s, The Show Must Go On, for the Atlantic label in 1975. A remarkable amalgam of Southern and Chicago soul styles, and anchored by Dees’ always remarkable songwriting, The Show Must Go On spawned no less than four charting singles; yet, for some reason, the album has never been reissued as a standalone CD (it is available on a French box set that’ll set you back a bunch of euros). Given its history, the Real Gone reissue of The Show Must Go On comes as big news in soul circles, but here’s the kicker—we’ve added six bonus single sides to comprise Sam’s complete Atlantic recordings! Notes from R&B maven Bill Dahl and photos complete the package. Essential! Set for release on January 29, 2013.


Tracks
1. Child of the Streets
2. The Show Must Go On
3. Come Back Strong
4. Just Out of My Reach
5. Claim Jumpin’
6. Troubled Child
7. What’s It Gonna Be
8. Worn Out Broken Heart
9. Good Guys
10. So Tied Up

Bonus Single Sides
11. I'm So Very Glad
12. So Tied Up (Single Version)
13. Signed Miss Heroin
14. Fragile, Handle with Care
15. Save the Love at Any Cost
16. Child of the Streets (Single Edit)

~ Real Gone Music

PATTY DUKE - SINGS SONGS FROM THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS / SINGS FOLK SONGS

• Two United Artists Albums Recorded by a True '60s Icon on a "Twofer" Release

• Patty Duke Won an Academy Award for The Miracle Worker at Age 16, and Had Her Own TV Show, The Patty Duke Show, for Three Years

• Includes Bonus Tracks

• Her 1968 Album, Sings Folk Songs, Has Never Been Released in ANY Format Until Now

• Notes Includes Quotes from Patty and Rarely-Seen Photos

• Remastered from the Original Master Tapes

There was a lot of competition in the mid-‘60s for the title of America’s Most Popular Teenager, but a convincing case can be made that Patty Duke was IT. In 1962, at the age of 16, she became the youngest actress ever to win an Academy Award for her portrayal of Helen Keller in the film The Miracle Worker, a role she originated on Broadway. Then, in 1963, she was given her own series, The Patty Duke Show, in which she played two different leading roles of “identical cousins” (an ironic circumstance given Patty’s bouts of manic depression and her later championing of the cause).

Like so many teen stars before and after her, stardom on television quickly translated into a recording contract and appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, Shindig! and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, resulting in four albums for United Artists, the last two of which we are reissuing with bonus tracks. 1967’s Sings Songs from Valley of the Dolls was a darker, more mature album as befitting her controversial role in the film Valley of the Dolls; this album has been with the never-before released album of folk songs she recorded with United Artists in 1968! Sings Songs from Valley of the Dolls also has never been on CD, and both albums are mastered from the original master tapes. The liner notes feature additional photos and quotes from Patty Duke herself…long-lost music from one of the truly iconic figures in ‘60s pop culture! This will be released on January 28, 2013.

Patty Duke Sings Songs from Valley of the Dolls
1. It's Impossible
2. Come Live With Me
3. Give A Little More
4. I'll Plant My Own Tree
5. Theme From Valley Of The Dolls
6. My Own Little Place
7. Half-Hearted Kisses
8. Roses Are Red
9. A Million Things To Do
10. Forever Yours
11. Learn To Live With Your Heartbreak

Bonus Track
12. I Want Your Love

Patty Duke Sings Folk Songs
13. Colors
14. The Cruel War
15. The Best Is Yet To Come
16. And We Were Strangers
17. Puff The Magic Dragon
18. The Bells Of Rhymney
19. Time To Move On
20. Donna, Donna
21. Shine For Me
22. The Housewife's Lament
23. Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye
24. Blowin' In The Wind

~ Real Gone Music

MICHAEL BUBLE TEAMS UP WITH BING CROSBY ON HOLIDAY CLASSIC "WHITE CHRISTMAS"

Michael Bublé will be releasing a new holiday single, "White Christmas," which includes a special guest performance by Bing Crosby and will be available worldwide December 10th and 11th on iTunes, it was announced today by his label, "Reprise Records." The Canadian star, who has long idolized Crosby, joined up with the late crooner for a very special performance courtesy of computer magic on his upcoming NBC TV Special "Michael Bublé - Home for the Holidays" which is scheduled to air on NBC on December 10th at 10:00 pm following "The Voice." Crosby's performance took place December 14, 1971 as part of the "Bing Crosby & Sounds of Christmas TV Special. A brief snippet of the performance is attached: http://youtu.be/6PGv6LF9aTg

"I have worshipped Bing Crosby since I was 6 years old. My family plays Bing's 'White Christmas' all year around. It's really an honor to sing this beautiful song with him," commented Bublé.

The Irving Berlin classic "White Christmas" was originally performed by Bing Crosby on his Kraft Music Hall radio program on Christmas Day, 1941. It was officially recorded for Decca Records in May 1942 and re-recorded in 1947. Soon the recording reached iconic status and went on to become the best selling record of all time. Michael Bublé recorded the song last year as part of his extraordinarily successful Christmas album which was the second best selling album of 2012 (following Adele). Four different Bublé holiday songs from that record were played simultaneously on the radio last year. This year, the album is already Top Ten on iTunes in several countries including the US.

Other guests on Bublé's upcoming NBC Special include Rod Stewart, Blake Shelton, Carly Rae Jepsen and Elmo. Bublé is scheduled to appear on The Today Show and Jimmy Fallon on December 3rd and will have a new studio album next year. For more information on Bing Crosby: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bing-Crosby/44544738326 and http://bingcrosby.com/bing/

TOM WOPAT - I'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER

Star of Stage, Screen and TV Swings Into Mad Men Era With New Recording of Great American Songbook Classics and Contemporary Songs of Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor and More

2013 promises to be a banner year for Tom Wopat. From the Feb. 12 release of his eighth recording "I'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER," to his role in Quentin Tarrantino's highly anticipated film "Django Unchained," (released 2012 Christmas) and the release of the ABC-TV family musical movie "Lovestruck," in which he stars with Jane Seymour. While one can't help recall his starring role in the '80s hit television series "The Dukes of Hazzard," it is Tom Wopat, jazz vocalist and the Tony nominated star of Broadway that's been garnering high critical acclaim for the last two decades.

With "I'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER," Tom's musical expedition has traveled into even more colorful territory. Backed by a thirty-piece orchestra, he fulfills his desire to focus on what he describes as the "orchestra/big band hybrid of the '60s and '70s." "We've evoked the spirit of the New York supper club era and the cool vibe of the Mad Men days," he states. "The recording swings hard and there's a lot of really fine music."

And, there's a lot of fine singing all over the fourteen captivating tracks. Tom applies his far-ranging interpretive skills and warm engaging baritone to discovering new, intriguing musical twists in such Great American Songbook classics as "The Folks Who Live On The Hill," "Call Me," "Born To Be Blue," and "I Won't Dance." Listen to the way he romps through the different rhythms of "I've Got Your Number" and "The Good Life" -- typical of his easygoing interaction with the grooves of his orchestra/big band backing. Listen as well to how he transforms the singer/songwriter tunes -- James Taylor's "The Secret O' Life," Paul Simon's "The Afterlife," Judy Collins' "Since You Asked," Bruce Springsteen's "Meeting Across the River" -- into jazz-tinged renditions. And, to the sense of jazz authenticity that informs both Tom's singing and his interaction with the lush big band arrangements.

With "I'VE GOT YOUR NUMBER," Wopat truly feels he has found his stride. "Performing these songs the way we do on this recording is the most creative thing I do!"

For tour dates and further information go to http://www.tomwopatofficial.com

SHERRI ROBERTS WITH BLISS RODRIGUEZ - LOVELY DAYS

On her three previous albums, San Francisco vocalist Sherri Roberts collaborated with jazz masters like Phil Woods, Chris Potter, Lew Soloff, and bassist Harvie S, who also presided as producer/arranger for the highly-regarded small-group sessions.

Roberts takes a different tack on Lovely Days, her fourth album as a leader and her second for Blue House Recordings / Pacific Coast Jazz. On the new CD, which will be released January 15, she chose to work in a duo setting with Bliss Rodriguez, a brilliant but little-documented pianist who, like Roberts, has been a Bay Area resident since the 1980s. The two have been gigging together on and off for the last six years.

In a departure from more typical vocal/piano duos where the focus is strictly on the singer, "I decided to approach this recording as an opportunity to let Bliss stretch out, because I wanted people to experience his inventiveness," says Roberts, who handled CD production alone for the first time. "But I also wanted the album to reflect the kind of experiences I've had on our gigs together. I wanted these songs to unfold as they would as if people were hearing us live. We're feeding off each other emotionally."

The CD takes its title from the opening medley of Irving Berlin's "It's a Lovely Day Today" and "Isn't It a Lovely Day." Roberts and Rodriguez also put their stamp on Harold Arlen's "Hit the Road to Dreamland," Rodgers and Hammerstein's "We Kiss in a Shadow," Dave Frishberg's "Our Love Rolls On," and, from The Fantasticks, "Soon It's Gonna Rain."

Many of the songs, says Roberts, provided the soundtrack to her Southern childhood. "But even though Bliss is twelve years my senior, and from New York City, he grew up with these same soundtracks at a different phase of his life," she says. "They are every bit as much his songs as they are mine."
A leading torchbearer for the less-is-more school of jazz singing, Roberts has listened closely to understated vocalists like Helen Merrill, Irene Kral, and Chet Baker. "Sherri consistently demonstrates her deep understanding of lyric and nuance," says bassist and frequent creative partner Harvie S.

Sherri Roberts's knack for uncovering the roiling emotional undercurrent of a lyric probably stems from her theatrical background. Born in Greenville, South Carolina and raised in Atlanta, Roberts spent her teenage years as an aspiring actor. She earned a B.A. in theater from Antioch College in Ohio, while at the same time exploring her newfound fascination with jazz.

Relocating to the Bay Area in the early 1980s, Roberts (at left with Deputy) pursued her love of theater, but gradually discovered that she could find more immediate creative release in jazz, investigating characters and an entire narrative arc in the course of a song. Turning her attention to the bandstand, she started sitting in at open mic sessions, learning tunes and honing her skills as a storyteller.
She recorded two acclaimed albums for Brownstone Records, Twilight World (1996) and Dreamsville (1998), with The Sky Could Send You following in 2006 for Pacific Coast Jazz. About the latter CD, Christopher Loudon wrote in JazzTimes: "Stylistically, Roberts bears a significant resemblance to gin 'n' satin seductress Julie London. But where London's voice was distant as a winter moon, Roberts' is all dappled sunshine. . . shimmering delicacy. . . Enchanting."

Bliss Rodriguez was born in New York City in 1945 to parents from the Dominican Republic. Blind since the age of 17, Rodriguez studied at Juilliard and graduated from the Mannes College of Music, then earned his Master's in performance and composition from SUNY's Harpur College at Binghamton. He spent much of the 1970s in Houston, performing with rising star vocalist Roseanna Vitro, and worked on the New York and Los Angeles scenes before settling in San Francisco in 1986.

"From the get-go I felt that Bliss was a real original," says Roberts. "He hasn't really recorded much, if at all. In the duo setting, which is how we work, he's so abundantly creative. It's a setting in which you're both laid bare. As time went on I felt we should try to capture some of this relationship and Bliss's talents. That was the impetus to go into the studio and make this recording."

Sherri Roberts and Bliss Rodriguez will perform CD release shows for Lovely Days at Chez Hanny, 1300 Silver Avenue, San Francisco, Sunday 1/20 at 4:00 pm; and at Piedmont Piano, 1728 San Pablo Avenue, Oakland, Sunday 2/24, 4:00 pm.

ELAN TROTMAN - TROPICALITY

Rihanna may be the most famous Barbadian making worldwide headlines, but saxophonist/flautist Elan Trotman is another gifted islander who is bringing the Caribbean island’s culture to the masses via music. Tropicality, which will be released February 19th on Woodward Avenue Records, chronicles Trotman’s journey from Barbados to Boston and celebrates the multihued beauty of the tropical paradise. Trotman and guitar star Peter White produced the 12-track set that was recorded in Barbados, Boston and Los Angeles and includes performances by a stellar array of musicians from around the world.

The inherent difficulty for instrumentalists is to “speak” without words, hence Trotman’s challenge to speak volumes through melodic riffs, rhythms and grooves that tell his personal story and share his ardor for his homeland. He wrote or co-wrote seven of the collection’s nine originals and selected a few fitting covers, including the first single prefacing the album at radio, a rollicking rendition of Stevie Wonder’s reggae-inflected “Master Blaster.” Recording in three widely diverse cities afforded Trotman the opportunity to draw upon an international talent pool that boasts compatriot Barbados-born bassist/producer Nicholas Brancker, British guitarist White, French guitarist U-Nam, Brazilian guitar marvel Fabiano Da Silva, Aruban guitarist Serghio Jansen, Cuban percussionist Luis Conte, and an accomplished American contingent consisting of keyboardist/producer Jeff Lorber, guitarist/producer Paul Brown, guitarist Nick Colionne, drummers Terri Lyne Carrington, Ricky Lawson and Tony Moore, trumpeter Lin Rountree, bassist Alex Al and percussionist Lenny Castro.

“This album is very special to me as I’ve always wanted to showcase my Caribbean heritage through my music. We ‘islanders’ are happy people by nature and that quality has always been evident by the way our music grooves. As a child, I spent countless hours at the beach swimming and exploring the beautiful landscapes of the western and southern coasts of Barbados. On a recent visit back home, I began to compose these songs as I walked on those same beaches. My musical journey really began when I left my homeland to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. ‘Tropicality’ is the story of that journey from ‘Bridgetown to Beantown,’ and I’m very fortunate to have some close friends from across the globe join me on this project. My original compositions feature rhythms and grooves not just from Barbados, but from other Caribbean Islands, Cape Verde, and Latin America,” said Trotman, who will launch the album with concerts in the three cities in which it was recorded beginning with a January 20th show in Barbados at the Prime Minister’s home of Illaro Court with Lorber as special guest followed by a February 21st gig at Scullers Jazz Club in his adopted hometown of Boston and a March 1st date at Spaghettini’s near Los Angeles.

Tropicality is Trotman’s sixth solo album and follows the success of 2011’s Love and Sax, a Billboard Top 20 contemporary jazz album that spawned the single, “Heaven In Your Eyes,” a duet with keyboardist Brian Simpson, which reached #11 on Billboard’s jazz songs chart. Trotman has lent his soulful horn flair to recordings and shared the concert stage with an extraordinary assortment of marquee musicians including Roberta Flack, Patti Austin, Will Downing, Phil Perry, Earl Klugh, Rick Braun, Jonathan Butler, Brian McKnight, Jamie Foxx, Johnny Gill, Nathan East, Gerald Veasley, Don Grusin, Keiko Matsui, Raul Midon and fellow saxophonists Dave Koz, Kirk Whalum, Gerald Albright, and Najee. He is a three-time winner of the New England Urban Music Award as Best Jazz Male, the 2011 Barbados Music Awards Instrumentalist of the Year, and was twice nominated for a Boston Music Award. Growing up influenced by seminal sax legend Grover Washington Jr. and mentored by Barbadian sax man Arturo Tappin, Trotman received a full scholarship to the Berklee College of Music courtesy of the government of Barbados. He shares his knowledge by teaching music in the Boston school district when not touring or recording.

Trotman’s “Tropicality” album is comprised of the following songs:
“Master Blaster (Jammin’)”
“Tradewinds”
“Bridgetown To Beantown”
“Always With You”
“Wait In Vain”
"A Time And Place”
“Sunset In Paradise”
“Danca Ku Mi (Dance With Me)”
“Funkalypso”
“Tropicality”
“Island Groove”
“Wave”

www.elantrotman.com

LEGACY RECORDINGS RELEASING DELUXE 30TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF TEXAS FLOOD, THE ALBUM DEBUT OF STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN AND DOUBLE TROUBLE

Featuring previously unreleased Philadelphia live set from 1983

Legacy Recordings has announced the release of an expanded two-disc 30th anniversary edition of Texas Flood, the electrifying debut album by the American blues rock trio Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, available everywhere Tuesday, January 29, 2013.

A live sensation on the Austin, Texas club circuit since the late 1970s, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble--Stevie Ray (guitar, vocals), Tommy Shannon (bass) and Chris "Whipper" Layton (drums)--turned in a particularly memorable show at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 1982, catching the ears of David Bowie (who enlisted Stevie Ray for his Let's Dance album) and Jackson Browne (who offered the band free use of his Los Angeles recording studio). Accepting the offer, Stevie Ray and Double Trouble recorded several tracks over a whirlwind three days (with day one mainly devoted to setting up equipment) with the resultant tracks grabbing the attention of legendary record producer John Hammond, who'd discovered and signed Bob Dylan, Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Leonard Cohen, Bruce Springsteen, Benny Goodman, Aretha Franklin and many others. Hammond brought Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble to Epic Records, which released the remastered tracks as Texas Flood in 1983.

Executive produced by John Hammond, the original Texas Flood album was produced by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tommy Shannon, Chris Layton and engineer Richard Mullen. The Legacy Edition of Texas Flood is produced by Gregg Geller (who, as head of Epic's A&R 1983, signed Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble to the label).

An immediate and surprising success, Texas Flood peaked at #38 on the Billboard 200 while "Pride and Joy" shot up to #20 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The album's title track was nominated for a Best Traditional Blues Performance Grammy while "Rude Mood" grabbed a Grammy nom for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. The album has sold more than 2 million copies since its original release.

Originally released on Epic Records on June 13, 1983, Texas Flood, an unapologetic apotheosis of electric blues supercharged for a post-disco post-punk pop world, introduced audiences to a soul-filled sound that existed outside both the mainstream and underground tastes of its era. The album opened the gates of a fiery blues resurgence with Stevie Ray Vaughan signature compositions like "Pride and Joy" and "Love Struck Baby" flowing naturally alongside covers of deep blues and R&B standards by Howlin' Wolf, the Isley Brothers, Buddy Guy and Larry Davis.

Disc One of the 30th Anniversary Legacy Edition of Texas Flood includes the original album in its entirety with the bonus track "Tin Pan Alley" (aka "Roughest Place in Town").

Disc Two of the newly expanded Texas Flood will premiere a previously unavailable hour's long set of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble live at Ripley's Music Hall in Philadelphia. Recorded on October 20, 1983 for a WMMR broadcast, the extraordinary Ripley's performance finds Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble coming straight out of the gun already at an undeniable peak of their formidible powers.

Stevie Ray Vaughan And Double Trouble - Texas Flood
(2 CD 30th Anniversary Legacy Edition)

Disc One - Texas Flood
Love Struck Baby
Pride and Joy
Texas Flood
Tell Me
Testify
Rude Mood
Mary Had A Little Lamb
Dirty Pool
I'm Cryin'
Lenny

Bonus track:
Tin Pan Alley (aka Roughest Place In Town)

Executive Producer: John Hammond
Produced by Stevie Ray Vaughan, Richard Mullen and Double Trouble

Disc Two - Live at Ripley's Music Hall, Philadelphia, October 20, 1983 (previously unreleased)
Testify
So Excited
Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Pride and Joy
Texas Flood
Love Struck Baby
Mary Had A Little Lamb
Tin Pan Alley (aka Roughest Place In Town)
Little Wing/Third Stone From The Sun

The 30th Anniversary Legacy Edition of Texas Flood includes extensive liner notes by noted music historian Ashley Kahn (A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane's Signature Album; Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece). In his notes, Kahn writes, "The story of Texas Flood—more than any other recording by the guitarist—is the story of Stevie Ray. The album stands closest to his personal roots, roots that grew from a loamy mix of deep Southern blues, Texas R&B, and white-boy rock 'n' roll. It echoes his earliest triumphs as a guitarist, and serves as the triumphant finish-line to a ten-year run of hustling and scuffling that began in 1973, when the Dallas-born, 18-year old left home for the Austin music scene."

Source: Legacy Recordings

BILLY JOEL - SHE'S GOT A WAY - A NEW COLLECTION OF 18 ESSENTIAL LOVE SONGS

Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings announce the release of She's Got A Way: Love Songs, a new collection of 18 essential love songs drawn from three decades of recordings by music legend and composer/singer songwriter, Billy Joel. This collection comes just in time for Valentine's Day.

She's Got A Way: Love Songs is a perfect distillation of the artist's expressions of love and romance over the course of his life and career. The album brings together some of Billy's finest and most heartfelt performances, iconic hits playing alongside under-appreciated deep catalog selections.

She's Got A Way: Love Songs are the love songs, ballads and sentimental favorites comprising a dream Billy Joel playlist for old and new romantics alike, bringing new context to classics like "Just the Way You Are," "Honesty" and "She's Always a Woman" while rediscovering forgotten masterpieces like "Travelin' Prayer" (the b-side of the "Piano Man" single), Billy's version of "Shameless" (a #1 country smash for Garth Brooks), and the haunting instrumental "Nocturne" (from 1971's Cold Spring Harbor).

She's Got A Way: Love Songs -tracklisting
Travelin' Prayer (single from Piano Man - 1973 - #77 pop single)
The Night Is Still Young (single from Greatest Hits - Volume I and II - 1985 - #34 Hot 100)
This Is The Time (single from The Bridge - 1986 - #18 Hot 100, #1 AC)
She's Got A Way (Live) (single from Songs in the Attic - 1981 - #23 Hot 100, #4 AC)
Temptation (track from The Bridge - 1986)
Nocturne (track from Cold Spring Harbor - 1971)
Until The Night (from 52nd Street - 1978)
She's Right On Time (from The Nylon Curtain - 1982)
You're My Home (b-side of single from Piano Man - 1973)
Just The Way You Are (single from The Stranger - 1977 - #3 Hot 100 - Grammy Record of the Year and Song of the Year)
She's Always A Woman (single from The Stranger - 1977 - #17 Hot 100, #2 AC)
State Of Grace (from Storm Front - 1989)
Honesty (single from 52nd Street - 1978 - #24 Hot 100)
This Night (b-side of single from An Innocent Man - 1984)
Shameless (from Storm Front - 1989 - #1 country song for Garth Brooks)
An Innocent Man (single from An Innocent Man - 1983 - #10 Hot 100, #1 AC)
All About Soul (Remix) (single from River of Dreams - 1993 - #29 Hot 100)
And So It Goes (single from Storm Front - 1989 - #37 Hot 100)

Having sold more than 150 million records over the course of a career spanning more than four decades, Billy Joel is one of the most popular recording artists and respected entertainers in the world. Since signing his first solo recording contract in 1972, he's achieved 33 Top 40 hits, every one of them self-penned. The American pianist, singer-songwriter, and composer is a six-time Grammy Award winner (with 23 Grammy nominations overall) and in 1990, was presented with the Grammy Legend Award. Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992, Joel was presented with the Johnny Mercer Award, the organization's highest honor, in 2001. In 1999 he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and has received the Recording Industry Association of America Diamond Award, presented for albums that have sold over 10 million copies.

For his accomplishments as a musician and as a humanitarian, Billy Joel was honored as the 2002 MusiCares Person Of The Year by the MusiCares Foundation and the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.

On September 20, 2004, Billy Joel received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, adding another milestone to his extraordinary career.

"Movin' Out," a Broadway musical based on Joel's music choreographed and directed by Twyla Tharp, was nominated for 10 Tony Awards and took home two including Best Orchestrations--Billy's first Tony Award win--and Best Choreography.

Grammys
1991 - Grammy Legend Award
1980 - Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male ("Glass Houses")
1979 - Album Of The Year ("52nd Street")
1979 - Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male ("52nd Street")
1978 - Record Of The Year ("Just The Way You Are" - single)
1978 - Song Of The Year ("Just The Way You Are" - single)

Source: Legacy Recordings

NEW RELEASES - MODERN SOUNDS FROM ITALY 3, AZYMUTH, ZOE RAHMAN

MODERN SOUNDS FROM ITALY 3 (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

A rich document of the growth in the Italian jazz scene in recent years – a great leap forward not just for individual musicians, but also for the Schema label as well! Schema first began in the 90s with a relatively programmed approach to jazz – a style that loved the classics, but often reworked them in modern production modes. Yet over the years, the company's really come to be a key home for real jazz and soulful sounds – moving past their original remix identity, to a point where they're arguably one of the most important jazz labels on the European scene! This nicely-priced batch of tracks is a great illustration of that growth – and features a few old Schema faves, mixed with newer artists who've flocked to the label in recent years – presented here in some unique remixes and other nice versions we haven't heard before. Titles include "Beyond The Days" by Gaetano Partiplio, "But Not For You" by Alessandro Maganini, "Hurt Me Bad" by Andrea Balducci, "Waltz For Emily" by Gerardo Frisina, "Banzo" by Rosalia De Souza, "Some Kind Of Blues (Grooveman Spot rmx)" by S-Tone Inc, "Welcome To My World (acoustic)" by Joyce Elaine Yuille, "Hear Us Now" by Christian Prommer's Drumlesson, "Alta Tensione 3am" by Alex Puddu, and "Good Life" by Timo Lassy. ~ Dusty Groove

AZYMUTH - LIGHT AS A FEATHER

One of Azymuth's best-remembered albums from their American years on Milestone – a really killer classic that beautifully blends Brazilian and American styles of fusion! There's a simple, elegant feel to these tunes that takes off nicely from the group's previous album for Atlantic in Brazil – a pushing forward of the soulful sides of their style, but with just the right blend of quirkier elements as well – one that still keeps the edge of the early years, yet helps the group reach out with a wonderfully warm sound! Most tracks are quite spare, and without any too-smooth polishing in production – and titles include the classic "Jazz Carnival", a funky fusion classic if there ever was one – plus "Light As A Feather", "Avenida Das Manguerias", "This Exists", "Partido Alto", "Dona Olimpia", "Amazonia", and "Young Embrace". CD also features four bonus tracks – "Jazz Carnival (full original mix)", "Avenida Das Manguerias (SS translation by Theo Parrish)", "Jazz Carnival (Yambee rework by Ashley Beedle & Yam Who)", and "Codsall Juniors" by Mark E. (Remixed and remastered version – with better sound than ever!) ~ Dusty Groove

ZOE RAHMAN - KINDRED SPIRITS

A hell of a pianist, with a really great sound – and a record that's got a very deeply spiritual vibe overall! The album's a lot different than you might expect from Zoe's glamorous look on the cover – as she's a monster on the keys of the piano, and plays with a soaring, spiritual sound that recalls the best post-Coltrane work by McCoy Tyner in the 70s – delivered with a similar sense of majesty and soul as well! Other instrumentation here features some great clarinet from Idris Rahman – who blows these long, exotic lines that remind us a bit of Tony Scott when he hit his hip righteous phase at the end of the 60s – and Courtney Pine also plays alto flute on one track too. Zoe adds some cool harmonium to one track – and titles include "Fly In The Ointment", "Down To Earth", "Maya", "Butlers Of Glen Avenue", "Outside In", and "Contusion". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - TILL BRONNER, THE CHARLES CRAIG FUNK & SOUL CLUB, SUPER HI-FI

TILL BRONNER - TILL BRONNER

Maybe the greatest album we've ever heard from trumpeter Till Bronner – a beautiful tribute to the 70s sound of Freddie Hubbard – recorded with instrumentation that's heavy on Fender Rhodes, and these soaring solos that are simply the greatest we've ever heard Bronner play! There's a perfection to the record that may well even go past Freddie's classics for CTI – a sense of solid, soulful sounds throughout – with not a moment of filler, and a great mix of originals from Bronner that really capture the Hubbard vibe – mixed with a few others that further the essence. The whole thing's wonderful – a killer contemporary set, but with a richly vintage feel too – no vocals, no remixes, or any of the other things that you might find on other Bronner albums. Titles include "Will Of Nature", "FFH", "Return To The Fold", "Gibraltar", "Once Upon A Summertime", "Condor", "Pegasus", "Red Street", "Wacky Wes", and "The Gate". (Includes bonus download code too!)  ~ Dusty Groove

THE CRAIG CHARLES FUNK & SOUL CLUB (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

Funky covers galore – mostly contemporary tracks, but a few classics as well – all pulled together in support of the Craig Charles Show on BBC! Craig's got a long-standing reputation as a soul collector, funk fanatic, and all around groovy guy – and over the past decade, his show has almost become to funk and soul what John Peel's was to rock back in the day – a great place to discover new talents and revisit old ones! This package has all the key Charles hallmarks – and features a range of grooves that includes deep funk, Afrobeat, dub, and a few more contemporary modes – all of them funky. Titles include "Rocket Man" by The Stiff Naked Fools, "Insane In The Membrane" by Prince Fatty, "Hard Work" by Smoove & Turrell, "The Clap Hands Song" by T Bird & The Breaks, "Wait A Minute" by the Excitements, "Amen Brother" by The Bamboos, "Singalong" by Treva Whateva, "Shaft In Africa" by Mighty Showstoppers, "The Snake" by Al Wilson, "Satisfaction" by Incredible Bongo Band, and "The Bump" by The Haggis Horns. ~ Dusty Groove

SUPER HI-FI - DUB TO THE BONE

The title's quite right on this one – because the group's heavy on dub, but also uses trombones as well – all in a mode that sometimes recalls the classic sound of Kingston, yet which also has some deep funk elements as well! Twin trombones stretch out beautifully – often quite rhythmic in their approach, and intertwined with tight basslines, echoey drums, and sweet guitar riffs too – and titles include "Trio Tro Tro", "Public Option (Prince Polo dub)", "Q Street (Subatomic Sound System rmx)", "Washingtonian", "Neolithic", and "We Will Begin Again (DJ Trainwreck rmx)". (Limited edition of 300 copies.) ~ Dusty Groove

MARY WELLS - SOMETHING NEW: MOTOWN LOST & FOUND ORIGINAL RECORDING 1961 - 1964

A wealth of wonderful work from Mary Wells – the first package to really give full due to her momentous early years at Motown – and a set that includes a huge amount of unreleased tracks, plus many others that weren't issued at the time! Back in the day, there were only a handful of singles from Mary at Motown – and the Vintage Stock album too – but this set brings together all those cuts, plus loads more unreleased numbers – a few of which appeared on the early 90s Looking Back collection – a lot more of which show up here for the first time ever!

The music here not only shows Mary in formation, but Motown as well – trying out a whole host of different styles for Wells' great vocals – and really finding strong focus as the set rolls on. Mary's one of the first great solo singers for Motown – and the package features loads of solo numbers with her in the lead – plus a handful of numbers with the Supremes or Four Tops, one with The Temptations & Supremes, and one with Smokey Robinson – as well as seven more duets with Marvin Gaye!

There's also a batch of "standards" – as Wells takes on the mode that Motown also tried with Marvin – and the package features a whopping 47 tracks in all, with very detailed notes. Titles include "Cinderella", "Is It Me Or Is It You", "Money", "Why Do You Want To Let Me Go", "When Your Lover Comes Back", "My Heart Is Like A Clock", "My World Of Dreams", "Your Loss My Gain", "Prove It", "Drop In The Bucket", "Everybody Needs Love", "Back In My Arms", "Oh Lover", "In Case You Need Love", "Again", "Always", "A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening", "Can't Get Out Of This Mood", and "This Is Something New". (Limited edition.) ~ Dusty Groove

TONY BENNETT - UNIVISION HOLIDAY SPECIAL WITH VIVA DUETS PARTNERS ON 12/9 // NEW MEMOIRLIFE IS A GIFT: THE ZEN OF BENNETT MAKES THE NY TIMES BESTSELLER LIST // ENTIRE MUSIC CATALOG ON ITUNES

Tony Bennet (Photo by Paul Bergen/Getty Images)

For his Spanish-language fans, Tony has a special Christmas treat coming soon. On Sunday December 9th at 10pm EST, Tony and his VIVA DUETS partners will star in "Feliz Navidad Con Los Nuestros: Tony Y Sus Amigos". This will be the first time a non-Hispanic media personality will have their own primetime special on Univision, the largest Spanish-language TV network in the world. Hosted By Univision's Giselle Blondet, the one hour music special will give an inside look at the album, VIVA DUETS - featuring segments with Marc Anthony, Gloria Estefan, Romeo Santos,Vicente Fernandez, Thalía, Juan Luis Guerra and more.

Tony's new memoir, THE ZEN OF BENNETT: LIFE IS A GIFT was just released on November 20th – and already made it onto the NY Times Bestseller List! The book is described as the perfect accompaniment to this legend’s warm, sophisticated, and graceful melodies that have made him beloved by generations of fans.

Also earlier this week, Tony's entire music catalog became available on iTunes! Revisit all the phases of his unstoppable career: http://smarturl.it/TonyiTunes

Wanna learn more about what's happening with Tony? Check out some of his most recent interviews below:
CNN / Starting Point with Soledad O’Brien: http://youtu.be/ti5I7TMJme0
WYNC / The Leonard Lopate Show: http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/2012/nov/26/zen-tony-bennett
BlogTalkRadio / Storytellers with Eric Olsen & Chitra Agrawal: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/storytellers/2012/10/24/legendary-singer-tony-bennett
Rolling Stone / Exclusive with Patrick Doyle: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tony-bennett-taps-latin-music-stars-for-viva-duets-album-20121023

Connect with Tony Bennett:
http://www.tonybennett.net
http://www.facebook.com/tonybennett
http://twitter.com/itstonybennett

VIVA DUETS - US STANDARD TRACKLISTING

1. "The Best Is Yet to Come" with Chayanne
2. "The Way You Look Tonight" with Thalía*
3. "Steppin' Out With My Baby" with Christina Aguilera
4. "For Once In My Life" with Marc Anthony
5. "Are You Havin' Any Fun?" with Dani Martín*
6. "The Good Life" with Franco DeVita
7. "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)" with Gloria Estefan
8. "Just in Time" with Juan Luis Guerra
9. "Cold, Cold Heart" with Vicentico
10. "I Wanna Be Around" with Ricardo Arjona
11. "Rags to Riches" with Romeo Santos
12. "Return to Me (Regresa A Mí)" with Vicente Fernández*

VIVA DUETS - US TARGET TRACKLISTING
1. "The Best Is Yet to Come" with Chayanne
2. "The Way You Look Tonight" with Thalía*
3. "Steppin' Out With My Baby" with Christina Aguilera
4. "For Once In My Life" with Marc Anthony
5. "Are You Havin' Any Fun?" with Dani Martín*
6. "The Good Life" with Franco DeVita
7. "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)" with Gloria Estefan
8. "Just in Time" with Juan Luis Guerra
9. "Cold, Cold Heart" with Vicentico
10. "I Wanna Be Around" with Ricardo Arjona
11. "Rags to Riches" with Romeo Santos
12. "Return to Me (Regresa A Mí)" with Vicente Fernández*
13. "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" with Miguel Bosé*
14. "Blue Velvet" with Maria Gadú*
15. "The Very Thought of You" with Ana Carolina
16. "The Way You Look Tonight" with Thalía* (Guitar Only)

With millions of records sold world-wide and platinum and gold albums to his credit, Bennett has received seventeen Grammy Awards -- including a 1995 Grammy for Record of the Year for his "MTV Unplugged" CD which introduced this American master to a whole new generation -- and the Grammy Lifetime Award. His 2007 prime-time special, "Tony Bennett: An American Classic," won seven Emmy Awards. His initial successes came via a string of Columbia singles in the early 1950's, including such chart-toppers as "Because of You," "Rags to Riches," and a remake of Hank Williams "Cold, Cold Heart." He had 24 songs in the Top 40, including "I Wanna Be Around," "The Good Life," "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)" and his signature song," I Left My Heart In San Francisco," recorded 50 years ago this coming January 2012. This song garnered him two Grammy Awards. Tony Bennett is one of a handful of artists to have new albums charting in the 50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's, and now in the first two decades of the 21st century. He has introduced a multitude of songs into the Great American Songbook that have since become standards for pop music. He has toured the world to sold out audiences with rave reviews whenever he performs.

THAD JONES & MEL LEWIS CLASSIC ALBUMS RE-RELEASED...

Presenting Thad Jones & Mel Lewis & The Jazz Orchestra / Live At The Village Vanguard / Big Band Sound Featuring Miss Ruth Brown

A trio of classics from the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra! First up is the initial Presenting album – great music by one of the hippest large American ensembles of the late 60s – almost a US equivalent to the groovy sound of the Clark Boland Big Band over in Europe! Trumpeter Thad Jones and drummer Mel Lewis had already made some great music together on their own – but once they came together in a record like this, they really found a great new direction for their energy – a bold musical force that's strong enough to also encompass the rich talents of players who include Pepper Adams on baritone sax, Joe Farrell on tenor, Jerome Richardson on soprano sax, Richard Williams on trumpet, Bob Brookmeyer and Tom McIntosh on trombones, Hank Jones on piano, and Richard Davis on bass! The sound is full, but never overwhelming – and like the Clark Boland group, this one has a great way of breaking open to allow key soloists to have some great space on their own – a modern approach, and one that still never has the band losing its groove. Titles include "ABC Blues", "Mean What You Say", "Three & One", and "Once Around". 

The next album was recorded live in the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis home turf at the Village Vanguard! The group at this point was a freshly-created outfit filled with some of the best large group jazz soloists of the time – players that included Jerome Richardson, Joe Farrell, Eddie Daniels, Pepper Adams, Richard Williams, and Bob Brookmeyer – not to mention Jones and Lewis themselves! The style here is very much in the mode that the Clarke Boland Band was crafting in Europe during the same period – a redefinition of the larger jazz group, in a way that allowed it to swing with the dynamic energy and soul of some of the smaller combos of the 60s. And while the Jones/Lewis group had many years over which to hone their craft, they've never sounded better than on these initial recordings – as you'll hear on tracks that include "Samba Con Getchu", "A That's Freedom", "Bachafillen", and "Little Pixie".  

On the last album in the set, Ruth Brown joins the big band of Thad Jones and Mel Lewis – in a set that's a real standout in the career of all three artists! Thad and Mel already have a pretty great groove going at this point – a large ensemble approach to jazz, yet one that's swingingly soulful – very much on a par with some of Gerald Wilson's hip work of the same time at time. And adding in Ruth Brown's vocals is a great choice – as she not only needs a great showcase like this for her amazing voice, but also because she really helps unlock a soulful sort of energy that the group always had in their instrumental music. The approach is a bit like some of Etta Jones' best 60s recordings – a nice shift for Brown – and titles include "Black Coffee", "Fine Brown Frame", "You Won't Let Go", "Trouble In Mind", and "Be Anything (But Be Mine)". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - NICO GOMEZ AND HIS ORCHESTRA, ROGER NICHOLS AND THE SMALL CIRCLE OF FRIENDS, LOU DONALDSON

NICO GOMEZ -BOSSA NOVA

Way way more than just bossa nova – a mighty groover from the great Nico Gomez! Nico's known for his harder pounding tracks that have become favorites with the funky crowd, but this stellar album shows that Nico could also work in jazzier territory when he wanted to – as the album's a wonderful batch of tunes that mix together Latin, groovy, and bossa styles! There's some very nice wordless female vocals on a few cuts, scatting along with a warm breezy feel – and other tracks feature vibes, or guitar, sax, and other strong instrumental elements – with more than enough punch to be funky at a few points. The whole thing's as groovy as groovy can be – with a sound that's past bossa, and way more than any fake easy instrumental attempt at the genre – a real peep into the mad mind of Nico Gomez, and proof that his albums are always worth tracking down! Titles include "Din Din Din", "Aquarela", "Samba De Rio", "Saudade Do Rio", "Agua", "Rio", and "O Barquinho". ~ Dusty Groove

ROGER NICHOLS AND THE SMALL CIRCLE OF FRIENDS - MY HEART IS HOME

Sublime sounds from Roger Nichols and the revived Small Circle Of Friends – a record that definitely echoes the style the group first created in the late 60s for A&M Records! The set follows strongly on the style of Nichols first comeback album from a few years back – offering up the sweet, warm, personal charm that's always made his music so unique – produced with an edge that's really respectful to the complicated balance of his songs – and which never tries to update things too much at all. A few of the songs are more obscure numbers from the old days, a few others are new, and there's even a special Holiday number in the set too! Titles include "Take Me Home", "Something From Paradise", "My Heart Is Home", "This Is Love", "The Moon Is Red", "Show Your Love", "Christmas Is My Favorite Time Of Year", "Feels Good To Be Bad Again", and a remake of "We've Only Just Begun". (HQ – Hi Quality CD pressing!) ~ Dusty Groove

LOU DONALDSON - SOPHISTICATED LOU

A really unique album for Lou Donaldson – especially for his early 70s run on Blue Note! The session lives up to its title by offering up a batch of soulful ballads from Lou – tunes that really focus on his sweet lines on alto, yet set amidst some larger backing arranged by Wade Marcus – which also feature some wonderful Fender Rhodes from Derek Smith in the mix! The groove is relatively gentle, and has a nicely laidback sort of feel – the kind of lush yet soulful sounds that Marcus could do so well almost a CTI/Kudu vibe, but a bit more easygoing overall. Titles include a version of Lou's "Blues Walk", plus "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life", "The Long Goodbye", "Stella By Starlight", "You've Changed", and "Autumn In New York". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - WILLIE BOBO, NICO GOMEZ AND HIS AFRO PERCUSSION INC., MOACIR SANTOS

WILLIE BOBO - TOMORROW IS HERE

A really unique chapter in the career of percussionist Willie Bobo – a rare one-off album for Blue Note – done with a sweet Cali vibe all the way through! Bobo plays his usual percussion, but also sings a bit too – in this charming style that's never too overdone – a deeply personal approach that sounds great next to the album's electric arrangements – all in a vibe that mixes Latin with 70s funk and fusion – all with that beautiful 70s Blue Note balance between polish and poise, groove and soul! The range of sounds is mighty nice – and titles include "Suitcase Full Of Dreams", "Wacky Tobacky", "Dreamin", "Keep On Walkin", "Funk De Mambo", and the "Kojak Theme". ~ Dusty Groove

NICO GOMEZ AND HIS AFRO PERCUSSION INC. - RITUAL

Fierce funky grooves from the legendary Nico Gomez – a set cooked up in Europe, but heavy with influences from the other side of the Atlantic – from Havana all the way up to New York! There's definitely a Latin groove to the record – one that's similar to other Gomez productions – but there's also lots of heavy funk at the bottom – with basslines that drive most numbers along boldly, really raw percussion played with a nice sense of spontaneity, and these super-tight keyboards and guitars that you might find in American funk! The mix of modes is very much in the best spirit of contemporary groups like Chakachas or Lafayette Afro Rock Band – and titles include "Caballo Negro", "Lupita", "Baila Chibiquiban", "Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!", "One Note Samba", "Cuba Libre", and "El Condor Pasa". ~ Dusty Groove

MOACIR SANTOS - CARNIVAL OF THE SPIRITS

A sublime 70s session from Moacir Santos – a set that mixes the complex grooves he forged in 60s Brazil with the warmly jazzy sound of American fusion – all in a result that's totally unique! The album's quite different than any other electric Brazilian sets recorded in the US at the time – a complex album that's filled with soul and imagination – and not just an electrification of earlier styles from Brazil. Santos' vision here is wonderful – and he works with his own arrangements, and key help from producer Dale Oehler – who knows how to bring in all the right electric elements without losing the edge of Moacir's music. Players are great too – and include Jerome Richardson on soprano sax, Oscar Brashear on trumpet, Don Menza on tenor, Gary Foster on alto, Larry Nash on Fender Rhodes, Clare Fischer on piano, and Jerry Peters on organ. The sound builds and swirls in nice chunks, while the soloists creep in and lay down some horn parts – and a few vocalists, including Santos, add some slight lyrics from time to time. Titles include "Tomorrow Is Mine", "Jequie", "Coisa No 2", "Quiet Carnival", "Sampaguita", and "Anon". ~ Dusty Groove

SPANKY WILSON REISSUES - SPANKIN' BRAND NEW, DOIN' IT & LET IT BE

SPANKIN' BRAND NEW

Heavy soul from the great Spanky Wilson – an album that explodes with energy right from the start – in a groove that definitely lives up to the title! Spanky's got a great mix of funk and class on this set – a punch in the rhythms at points, yet also a poise in the way she delivers the lyrics – a blend that's a bit like Marlena Shaw in her earlier years – and set to some killer arrangements from the great HB Barnum! Barnum gives the record all the cool punch of his great 60s work with Lou Rawls – and nearly all the material was written by the obscure Howlett Smith – an excellent lost writer who had a real talent for coming up with cool little soul songs that rise above the usual bag of his generation. This material works great for Spanky, and together, the pair, along with Barnum, cook up a unique lost soul treat! Titles include "Apartment 101", "On The Morning After", "The Other Girl", "You're Gonna Miss Me", "Love Has Me By The Hand", and "Mighty Great Feeling". ~ Dusty Groove

DOIN' IT

A bit of soul, a bit of jazz, and some nice funky touches at the bottom – a killer little set from the great Spanky Wilson! Wilson's got a really unique place in music – at one level a soul singer with enough sophistication to rival the sound of Marlena Shaw or Nancy Wilson – but at another level, an artist capable of really letting loose – hitting heavier, funkier modes that neither of those singers could ever touch! This set may well be Wilson's masterpiece – put together with excellent production and arrangements from the great HB Barnum – here coming off a great run of work for other artists in the 60s, and focusing all that experience on making Spanky sound great. Titles include "If I Could", "You", "Don't Mess With Bill", "Light My Fire", "Sunshine Of Your Love", "Hurtin", and "The Love That A Woman Should Give To A Man". ~ Dusty Groove

LET IT BE

Spanky Wilson really takes off here – hitting some of her boldest soul modes to date – and serving up a few funk-heavy classics in the process! Production and arrangements are by HB Barnum – who draws on his own rich legacy of soul projects for the set, and finds a way to let Spanky really knock things out of the park – while still also holding tight to a mighty sweet groove! The style's almost an indie soul take on the Capitol Records groove that Barnum forged with David Axelrod for other singers – with all the strong sense of space between the grooves that would imply. The set features Spanky doing nice hard grooving versions of tracks that you've heard before – like "Loveland", "Let It Be", "Gloomy Sunday", and "Perhaps" – but there's also some nice ones like "Foolish" or "Love or Let Me Be Lonely", that are less familiar, and mighty nice too! ~ Dusty Groove